Vineyard:

In the 19th century, California wine pioneer Charles Wetmore imported Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings from Bordeaux to plant in his Livermore Valley vineyards. The descendants of these vines were selected by University of California at Davis to become a part of their Foundation nursery and are known as clones 7 and 8. Today, the Wente Family farms approximately 400 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards using these two clones with appropriately selected root stocks. With their undulating terrain, meandering Arroyos, well-drained rocky soils, and unique mesoclimates, the Southern Hills vineyards are located in the most desirable settings with exposures ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon of distinct character, depth and intensity.

Fermentation:

Each vineyard was harvested separately and fermented in upright fermenters. Rack and return was performed twice daily. Rack and return is the process of draining all of the free-run juice off of the cap, then pumping the free-run juice back over the top of the fermenter. This method increases color and tannin extraction and improves mouth feel through the integration of oxygen.

Aging:

Each lot of wine was aged separately for 14 months in a combination of American, French, Eastern European and neutral oak barrels.